William a



(No Model.)

W. A. SPARKS.

COFPIN.

Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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XVILLIAM A. SPARKS, OF ROCHESTER, NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE STEIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COFFIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,848, dated February 9,1886.

Serial No. 186,508. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SPARKS, of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State ofNew York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clamps for Fastening the Lids of Burial-Caskets; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying To this application.

My improvement relates to clamps for securing the lid to a metallic burial-casket, and is designed to take the place of screws,which are ordinarily used,and which require so much t; time to apply or remove that'their use is objectionable.

The invention consists in the combination of a post which is threaded at the lower end to enter the wood or metal, a clamp which is litted on the post to turn freely, an eccentric which is pivoted in the top of. the post and bears on top of the clamp, by which means the latter is forced to clamp the lid, and a packing-block under the clamp and around the post, by which the post ispacked, all as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of the exterior lid of the casket. Fig. 2 is a plan of the casket with the outer lid removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section of the casket. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one side of the interior metal casket, showing the clamp in position. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the clamps, looking at right angles to Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of Fig. 5.

My improvement is applicable either to single caskets or those in which a hermeticallysealed sheet-metal casket is used inside of a wood casket. The drawings show the latter form.

A is the exterior wood casket, and B the interior metal casket, each having an independent lid.

My improvement is as follows: C C C are a series of clamps, which are placed at regular distance apart all around the casket and serve to fasten thelid down on a packing in the top of the casket, thereby hermetically sealing it. Each of these clamps consists of a post, a,

0 slitted at the top to receive the eccentric and threaded at the bottom to screw into the linug-strip D, of wood, which extends all around the interior of the metal casket, and serves as an attachment for the drapery of the casket.

b is a collar forming the clamp proper, fitting around the post and turning freely thereon, and provided with a hook, b, or some equivalent projection, that bears down on the edge 0 of the lid and forces said sharp edge down onto a rubber or other suitable packingring, cl, that rests on top of the liningstrip D, and extends all around the casket.

f is an eccentric, which is pivoted at the top in the slit of the post and bears on top of the loose clamp just described. The eccentric is 6; provided with a handle, f, which extends outward a suitable distance and has, preferably,

a fingenpiece at the outer end. Instead of resting in a slot of the post, the eccentric may have ears resting outside the post and pivoted 7o thereto.

9 is a packi ug-block,that rests closely around the post and in contact with the bottom of the clamp, and the action is such as to pack the post and the bottom of the clamp when the parts are pressed down, and prevent any air entering through the hole where the post passes into the top of the casket, and it furthermore has the effect of throwing the clamp up when it is released by the eccentric, so that the point or hook of the clamp can swing free over the raised edge of the lid.

In use a series of the clamping devices are attached all around the top of the casket, as shown in theplan view, Fig. 2. To fit the lid in place preparatory to being clamped, the clamps b are all turned so that the hooks stand away from the edge of thelid, as indicated by the dotted lines, Fig. 6. The lid is then laid on over the casket, and the clamps are all turned back, so that the hooks project over the edge of the lid. At or previous to this time the threaded posts are turned down to such a degree that when the eccentrics are thrown the proper binding action will be produced on the lid. The eccentrics are then turned down, which forces the clamps down on the lid. It should be noticed here that the screws are not for producing any clamping action on the lid, but simply as anchors and adjusting devices roo to bring the clamps in proper position, so that when the eccentrics are operated they will produce the clamping action. The pressure is produced entirely by the eccentrics, and the screws serve simply as adjusters, the adjusting action being produced by turning them down more or less before operating the eccentries. By this means not only is great labor saved, but the lid can be forced down on the packing with evenpressure all around the casket, which is essential to make it air-tight.

Where screws alone are used to produce the pressure, much time and labor are required, as each screw of a very great number of clamps must be turned by fitti ng-a screw-driver therein.

To pack or remove the lid where this invention is employed, the eccentrics are simply thrown down or up, which takes but very little time. Another advantage in this invention consists in the use of the packing-block g, beneath the clamp and around the screw, whereby the hole through which the screw passes is made air-tight, the reaction of the block also raising the clamp, so that the hook will pass over the ridge of the lid when the eccentric is loosened.

lhis invention is applicable to other receptacles as well as burial-caskets.

I disclaim in this application a loose clamp operated by a screw, as the same is shown in a prior application of Sparks and Rappleyea.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The clamp for burial caskets herein described, consisting of the threaded post, the clamp fitted on the post and having free movement thereon, the eccentric pivoted to the post above the clamp and bearing on the clamp, and the packing-block around the post, below the clamp, all combined to operate in the manner and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM A. SPARKS.

\Vitnesses:

S. L. DOBBIN, R. F. Oseoon. 

